Nanobiotechnology for health-care
 
Antimicrobial hydrogels for treatment of infected wounds
Virych P., Nadtoka S., Doroshchuk V., Lelyushok S., Nadtoka O., Bezugla T., Pavlenko V., Kutsevol N.
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Volodymyrska Street, 64/13, Kyiv-01601, Ukraine. 
E-mail: oksananadtoka@ukr.net

Last decades, the treatment of superficial traumatic, burn or diabetic wounds uses various antibiotic-loaded hydrogels as antibacterial coverings [1]. These materials release antibiotics at the wound site, thus prevent infection during the healing process. Local administration of antibiotics significantly reduces the unwanted side effects that are often observed with systemic use.
Hybrid Dextran (Sulfodextran)-graft-Polyacrylamide- and Polyacrylamide-based hydrogels were synthesized with varying cross-link density. To obtain antimicrobial hydrogel coverings all hydrogels were swelling in cefuroxime solution. The saturation of hydrogels with the antibiotic, as well as antibiotic desorption into the aqueous medium, was defined using the HPLC-UV method. It was shown that cefuroxime was released more slowly from Dextran(Sulfodextran)-graft-Polyacrylamide hydrogels compared to Polyacrylamide hydrogel with the same density of cross-links. Antibacterial efficacy of synthesized systems was in vitro tested against wild strains of S.aureus, E.coli, Klebsiella sp. All samples demonstrated high antimicrobial efficacy. The growth retardation of these bacteria in presence of the synthesized antibiotic-loaded hydrogels is greater compared to the hydrogels saturated with 0.05% chlorhexidine solution. The effectiveness of obtained hydrogel coverings was confirmed by in vivo experiments on infected wounds of mice.

1.	Veiga A.S., Schneider J.P. Antimicrobial hydrogels for the treatment of infection // Biopolymers. – 2013. - 100(6). – P. 637-644.